Marcus Rashford absence from Man Utd squad 'an internal matter ...

Erik ten Hag says Marcus Rashford's absence from the Manchester United squad for their FA Cup fourth-round tie at Newport is "an internal matter". 

It had earlier been reported Rashford was not well enough to play a part in the match following illness and had stayed at the club's Carrington training base to recover.

Asked about Rashford ahead of the tie, Ten Hag said: "He reported ill."

Rashford had been photographed out in Belfast earlier this week. Asked about reports Rashford had been in a nightclub on Thursday night, Ten Hag said: "It's an internal matter. I will deal with it."

If Rashford has been punished for a disciplinary issue, it will be the second time in just over a year Ten Hag has dropped him. Rashford was left out of the Man Utd starting XI against Wolves on December 31, 2022 after arriving late to a team meeting, although he went on to score the winner in that match.

Rashford also had to apologise to Ten Hag earlier this season after having a birthday party just hours after United had lost 3-0 at home to local rivals Manchester City. "It is unacceptable," Ten Hag said at the time. "I told him, he apologised and that is it."

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Earlier this week, Ten Hag had spoken of being unable to sign a striker in the January transfer window due to FFP restrictions and noted how - with Anthony Martial injured - Rashford was an option for him through the middle.

"Of course, (Marcus) Rashford can play as a striker; we have some other alternatives and it's clear that Anthony is out for a couple of months it's a gap in our squad, clear."

Follow the January transfer window

The winter transfer window is open and will close at 11pm in England and 11.30pm in Scotland on Thursday February 1.

To ensure harmonisation with the major leagues in Europe, the closing dates were set following discussions with the EFL, DFL, Serie A, LaLiga, and LFP, who will all close their summer and winter windows on 1 September and 1 February respectively.

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports' digital platforms, while you can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News, including daily transfer shows, and listen to our Transfer Talk podcast.